Famous Jews in the Army. Jewish War Heroes from 1775.

The following is an A to Z Jewish War Heroes Directory.

  1. 1775 – 1783 The American Revolutionary War
  2. 1792 – 1802 French Revolutionary Wars
  3. 1812 - 1815 War of 1812
  4. 1830 - July Revolution in France
  5. 1846 - 1848 Mexican-American War
  6. 1861 - 1865 American Civil War
  7. 1899 - 1902 Second Anglo-Boer War
  8. 1914 - 1918 World War I
  9. 1939 - 1945 World War II
  10. 1948, May - 1949 June, 20 Israeli Arab War
  11. 1950 and after


1775–1783 The American Revolutionary War
  1. Mordecai Sheftall was a leader in the Revolutionary movement against the British in Georgia
  2. Solomon Bush was an officer in the Pennsylvania militia, 1777-87
  3. Haym Salomon, (American Revolution), Sons of Liberty, Financier
  4. Francis Salvador, (American Revolution),Paul Revere of the South
  5. Jonas Phillips (1736-1803), In 1778 he joined the Revolutionary army, serving in the Philadelphia Militia under Colonel Bradford.
  6. David Nudez Cardozo

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1792–1802 French Revolutionary Wars

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1812-1815 War of 1812
  1. Judah Touro, (War of 1812), civilian volunteer in American Army, Philanthropist
  2. Jean Lafitte, Buccaneer leader who aided ???????????Jackson's defeat of British in the Battle of New Orleans War of 1812.
  3. Uriah Phillips Levy ( April 22 , 1792 - March 26 , 1862 ) was the first Jewish Commodore of the United States Navy and a veteran of the War of 1812. First Jewish Chapel at the United States Naval Academy named for him.
  4. John Ordroneaux a naval commander, sank five British ships in one battle and was raised to the rank of commodore. In 1814, at the Battle of Fort McHenry,there were 30 Jews in the garrison.
  5. Captain Mordecai Myers 13th Pennsylvania Infantry.
  6. Levi Myers Harby captain. Elso was involved in the Seminole Indian War in Florida in 1828.

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1830 July Revolution in France

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1846-1848 Mexican-American War
  1. Alfred Mordecai(1804 -1887) major.Joined the North in the Civl War in 1861.
  2. Dr David Camden DeLeon
  3. Leon Dyer, Colonel

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1861-1865 American Civil War
There were about 150,000 Jews in the country and about 8.500
of them took part in the war.
North army had:
Generals - 8
Colonels - 21
Lieutenant colonel - 9
Majors - 40
Captains - 205
Lieutenants - 325
Adjutants - 48
Surgeons - 25
Only New York had 2,000 volunteers.
General Oliver O. Howard wrote: "that there were no braver and patriotic men to be found then those of Hebrew descent" [Seymour Brody., 1995]

    Six Jews are recognized by the Jewish War Veterans of America as earning the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War.

    (see Official Website of CMOHS.org: The Congressional Medal of Honor Society ).

  1. COHN, ABRAHAM Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 6th New Hampshire Infantry Places and dates: At Wilderness, Virginia, 6 May 1864; At the mine, Petersburg, Virginia, 30 July, 1864 Birth: Prussia Date of issue: 24 August, 1865

  2. BENJAMIN LEVY Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 40th New York Infantry Place and date: Glendale, Virginia, 30 June, 1862 Date of issue: 1 March, 1865

  3. LEOPOLD KARPELES Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, Massachusetts Infantry Place and date: Wilderness, Virginia, 6 May, 1864 Birth: Hungary Date of issue: 30 April, 1870

  4. DAVID ORBANSKY Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 58th Ohio Infantry Places and dates: At Shiloh, Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi, etc. 1862 and 1863 Birth: Prussia Date of issue: 2 August, 1879

  5. HENRY HELLER Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company A, 66th Ohio Infantry Place and date: Chancellorsville, Virginia, 2 May, 1863 Entered Service at: Urbana, Ohio Date of issue: 29 July, 1892

  6. GAUSE, ISAAC Rank and organization: Corporal, Company E, 2nd Ohio Cavalry Place and date: Near Berryville, Virginia, 13 September, 1864 Birth: Trumbull County, Ohio Date of issue: 19 September, 1864

On March 15, 1896, seventy-eight Jewish Civil War veterans of the Union armies gathered and met in New York City's Lexington Opera House.

From: Jewish Heroes and Heroines of America, © 1996, written by Seymour "Sy" Brody of Delray Beach, Florida, illustrated by Art Seiden of Woodmere, New York, and published by Lifetime Books, Inc., Hollywood, FL.

  • Edward S. Salomon, Brigadier General(Civil War)
  • Louis Leon, North Carolina Tar Heel Confederate Army soldier.
  • Moses Jacob Ezekiel, Confederate Army soldier
  • Isaac J. Levy, Confederate soldier of the 46th Virginia Infantry.
  • Simon Suhler, (Civil War), (American Indian wars), Medal of Honor recipient.
  • Phoebe Yates Levy Pember (August 18, 1823 - March 4, 1913) a nurse and female administrator of Chimborazo Hospital at Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War
  • Judah Philip Benjamin (August 6, 1811 – May 6, 1884) - he was the first Attorney General of the Confederacy on February 25, 1861.
    About Jewish Confederates read more in the book: " The Jewish Confederates" by Robert N. Rosen., 2000 University of South Carolina.
    confederate military cemetery
    wars with Indians
  • Charles Gardner(Simon Shuster) Congressional Medal of Honor for fight with Apaches in Arizona 1866
  • George Geiger. Congressional Medal of Honor for Indian Campaign. Medal was issued on October 5, 1878
  • Samuel Marguiles(Samuel Gross) was awarded Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery.
    Spanish American war April 21, 1898 – August 1898
    About 5,000 Jews served in this war. (30 Jewish Army officers and 20 navy officers, 29 were killed)
  • corporal Ben Prager received the Silver Star medal for bravery.
  • Sergeant Maurice Joost of the First California Volunteers, was the first man to fall in the attack on Manila. [Seymour Brody]

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    1899-1902 Second Anglo-Boer War

    Jews fought on both sides during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). Some of the most notable fights during the three years' Boer war — such as the Gun Hill incident before the Siege of LadysmithSiege of Ladysmith The Siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 30 October 1899 and 28 February 1900 at Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, Colony of Natal.... — involved Jewish soldiers like Major Karri Davies. Nearly 2,800 Jews fought on the BritishUnited Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe.... side and the London Spectator counted that 125 were killed. [Jewish Encyclopedia]

    Around 300 Jews served among the Boers during the second Boer War and were known as Boerjode: those who had citizenship rights were conscripted along with other burghers ("citizens"), but there were also a number of volunteers. Jews fought under the Boers' Vierkleur ("four colored") flag in many of the major battles and engagements and during the guerilla phase of the war, and a dozen are known to have died. Around 80 were captured and held in British POW camps in South Africa. Some were sent as far afield as St. Helena.

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    1914 - 1918 World War I

    When the United States declared war against Germany in April 1917, Jews represented only 3.27 % of the total population, yet they made up 5.73% of the country armed forces. From more than 250,000 Jews served approximately 3,500 Jews were killed. [
    Seymour Brody., 1995]

    1. Sergeant Benjamin Kaufman – Congressional Medal of Honour and 9 foreign government awards for bravery.
    2. Sergeant Sam Dreben – Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Guerre, Militaire medal.
    3. Captain Elkan Voorsanger - Purple Heat, Croix de Guerre.
    4. Sergeant William Sawelson - Congressional Medal of Honour
    5. Sergeant Sidney G. Gumpertz - Congressional Medal of Honour.
    6. Corporal Louis Abend - Croix de Guerre
    7. Sergeant Benjamin Shapiro - Croix de Guerre
    8. Private Abraham Krotoshinsky
    9. Major General Milton J. Foremen - Distinguished Service Cross for bravery.
    10. Colonel Abel Davis
    11. Lieutenant Benjamin B. Prager.

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    1939 - 1945 World War II
    1. Maurice Rose, Major General, (World War II) Negotiated the unconditional surrender of the Germans in Tunisia, Commanded 3rd Armored Division: the first division to cross the German border and the first to breach the Siegfried line, killed in combat.
    2. Mark Wayne Clark, Major General, commander of Fifth U.S. Army World War II
    3. John B. Oakes, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, World War II; Bronze Star, member of O.S.S. Office of Strategic Services; also Croix de Guerre, Medaille de Reconnaissance (France), and Order of the British Empire
    4. Robert Rosenthal, lieutenant colonel, USAF in World War II.
    5. Sergeant Meyer Levin was killed in 25. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star, Oak leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart and Certificate of Merit.

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    1948, May - 1949 June, 20 Israeli Arab War

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    1950 and after

    Jewish Heroes of the Korean War
    Melvin Garten
    Joseph I. Gurfein
    Abraham Geller
  • Tibor Rubin, (Korea) Medal of Honor for actions in battle and in Chinese POW camp.
    Jewish Vietnam War Heroes
    Colonel Jack H. Jacobs: Medal of Honor
    Major General Stanley H. Hyman
    Major General Robert B. Solomon.
    Stewart S. Burr, private first class, was killed. Silver Star Medal.
    Jewish Vietnam War Heroes from Museum in Washington, D.C.
      Roger Steven Briskin, corporal Fred Zedeck, captain Joseph Ira Goldstein, lieutenant
    1. Joseph Liebgott, served in Easy Company, 506th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division in the Second World War, Technician (T/5)
    2. Robert Magnus, Former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Retired July 17, 2008
    3. Sam Dreben, served in the in the United States Army in the Philippines, Panama Canal Zone the Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I, also fought in Honduras Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the Mexican revolution. Noted for his prowess with machine guns.
    4. Edward Ellsberg, finished first in his class at the United States Naval Academy (1914), ultimately rose to rank of Rear Admiral.
    5. Jack H. Jacobs, Colonel (United States) Medal of Honor recipient
    6. David "Mickey" Marcus, (World War II), Army lieutenant colonel, West Point graduate, Divisional Judge Advocate, Division Commander, attended the Big Five meetings, volunteered to join D-Day airborne assault without formal training. Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, and British decorations. Volunteered to Israeli Army to defend against Transjordan Arab Legion. Became first Israeli Brigadier General, and served as Commander of Jerusalem front.
    7. Mark Polansky, NASA, USAF (Ret.), Space Shuttle Commander
    8. Hyman Rickover, United States Navy Admiral, Father of the Nuclear Navy.
    9. Marvin A. Sibulkin, Sergeant Major U.S. Army 1958-1983; Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (9th Inf Div), Bronze Star 1st Oak Leaf Cluster (Vietnam), Defense Meritorious Service Medal; 3 Army Commendation Medals.
    10. Michael Yury Tarlavsky, Captain, US Army 5th Special Forces Group; Killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom
    11. Norton A. Schwartz, 1973 graduate of the "Air Force Academy", 19th Air Force Chief of Staff

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    Bibliography:
  • "Jewish Heroes Of America", by Seymour Brody., 1995
    Please send me email with famous Jewish Soldiers that are not in our list, and I will add it to Jewish Soldiers directory.(this page)


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